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Coffee Shops and Cameras

Chapter 16

HIKARU

Hikaru's eyes were trained on Haruhi for the entirety of the show. She was sat front row next to his Mom, staring up at him with those big hazel eyes and long curled lashes. He'd never experienced such a pull to a woman before, not like this. He'd been with countless women, but never for more than one night, and he never found himself thinking about them or wanting more.

They'd meet, have sex, then say goodbye. He couldn't even remember half their names. But with Haruhi, it was like she'd attached herself to his brain. All he could think about was her. How she looked, how she spoke, how she held herself. She was strong, powerful, independent, driven, everything that he never looked for in the women he hooked up with. Some might say that those types of women intimidated him, his one and only fear was not being in control. A woman like Haruhi was a driving force, not to be controlled or to submit. So why was Hikaru so drawn to her?

"That was actually pretty impressive" Haruhi smirked as she made her way towards him, "Feeling better now?"

Hikaru shrugged, trying to keep his eyes from trailing over her body in those tight black jeans and blue top. For once she'd actually worn something that shaped her curves and hugged her body. But it was torture being so close to her and not being able to reach out and touch. Especially since he now knew what she looked like underneath.

"I'm tired" he said plainly, "We should head home soon"

"You're not staying to help clear up?"

Hikaru furrowed his brow, "we don't clear up, the staff do that"

"The staff?" Haruhi scoffed, "The "staff" made today happen, maybe you should stick around and lend a hand? Put those muscles to good use" she let out a teasing laugh as a smirk grew on her face, "Or are they just for show?"

Hikaru folded his arms, purposely tensing his biceps as he did so. He'd had her lifted and pinned to a door with one arm that day, so they both knew that those muscles weren't /just for show/. Haruhi bit her lip, giving him that dreamy look of lust she sometimes gave him without realising.

Somehow she managed to bully him into carrying some of the rails into the van after she'd helped cover the clothes and outfits. He ignored the looks of unsure terror he received as he assisted in the clear up. When the van left to take his Mom's designs back to her office Hikaru wiped his brow and heaved a heavy breath.

"Hard work isn't it?" Kaoru patted him on the back.

Hikaru rolled his eyes, placing a cigarette between his lips.

"This part of Haruhi's training?"

"Obviously. If I had it my way I'd be at home right now"

Kaoru laughed, "At least you're listening to her now. Are you developing a bit of a sweet spot for her?"

Hikaru took a puff, stalling his answer. His brother had no idea...

"I admire how seriously she's taking her job" Hikaru said through tensed lips.

"She's good for you"

"Don't start..." Hikaru warned.

"Start what?"

"Matchmaking. This isn't a romance" if anything, his feelings towards Haruhi made this a freaking porno.

"I'm just saying" he shrugged, "You haven't dated since...well, I don't remember"

"That's because I don't date" Hikaru replied curtly.

"That's the problem" Kaoru rolled his eyes, "You fuck them and leave them"

"I don't see you buying anyone flowers"

"You also don't see me swinging my dick around to anyone in a low cut top" he nudged his brother with his shoulder, "it's obvious you find her attractive"

"Who?"

"Haruhi. Who else?" Kaoru sighed, "You almost killed her friend when he got all touchy with her"

Hikaru didn't say anything. The memory made his blood boil, he didn't trust himself not to explode in his twin's face just from the thought of Arai wrapping his arms around Haruhi's waist...his lips to her ear. A low growl rumbled in his chest.

"Ask her on a date" Kaoru said with a shrug.

"You want me to date a commoner?" The suggestion was laughable, "Hell no"

"She's not like those girls when we were young Hika..."

"No, but she will be"

"And you're sure about that?"

"Money" Hikaru shrugged, "it always comes down to money"

"You don't seriously think Haruhi would just ride you for your money and gifts? Do you not know her at all?"

"It doesn't matter" Hikaru stamped out his cigarette, "I have no interest in that woman"

Kaoru gave him a look of disbelief, "Call me crazy, but when you and her finally emerged from that dressing room earlier I distinctly remember how out of breath you both seemed..."

"We...we were shouting"

"I guess you were pulling each other's hair too?"

"Uh-"

"And I suppose your fighting got soooo heated, that your top 3 buttons just...burst open?"

"Well I-"

"And turned her top inside out"

Hikaru's lips formed a tight line.

"Hey, look, it's none of my business" Kaoru held his palms up in surrender, "I'm just saying that...this is about you changing your life, going back to how you were before you became...this" he gestured the length of Hikaru's body, "Maybe it's worth considering how you connect with women too?"

Hikaru let out a breath. He hated to admit that his brother had a point. But no matter how much he considered it - Haruhi just...wasn't someone he could date. They were very different people, and even though the sexual and physical attraction was there, he knew a woman like Haruhi would never consider anything more with someone like Hikaru. She was an optimist, smiles and all. Hikaru just...wasn't. They would suck the life out of each other with every breath.

Not only that, but Hikaru had some bad experiences with...commoners...when he was younger. One girl in particular whose name he never dared mention, fucked up his head in the most cruel way imaginable. He gave her everything, and she took everything, giving nothing back. Not even her respect or affection. That was the relationship, and it ended in tears.

Haruhi didn't strike Hikaru as a girl who would use him for his wealth and expensive gifts, but at the start - neither did 'she-who-shall-not-be-named'. There was no way he was going to willingly walk into that shit show again.

Anyway, it was irrelevant. Because Hikaru Hitachiin didn't date. When you could get sex anyway, why bother with the boring bullshit?

"This is a stupid conversation" Hikaru grumbled in reply.

His brother sighed, "Just...don't fuck up what you have with Haruhi. Whatever is happening with you two is good for you. She even got you to clean up, which is a small miracle in itself"

Hikaru didn't respond, his insides suddenly felt cold and...unsettled. He patted his brother on the back to silently tell him to stop worrying. Kaoru smiled back.

HARUHI

"There is no way in hell you can start the interview like that" I shook my head wide eyed at Hikaru's opening lines. He sighed roughly and laid back onto the grass.

It was the day after the runway show, and after an evening to recuperate and a long night's sleep, I had summoned Hikaru to our usual meeting place the next morning. He arrived late as per usual, lit up a cigarette, and threw his usual sarcasm my way whenever I encouraged him to try out the advise I was giving him. So the coaching session was going just as well as I expected.

"This is boring" Hikaru grumbled, "Can't we just hide out in the pool house and make out?"

I rolled my eyes, "I'm not even going to entertain that with a response"

"Spoil sport" he huffed.

I couldn't lie.

I was tempted by his suggestion.

I mean look at him, the man was a god, it was hard to believe a man like him could even exist, he was pure perfection. I couldn't keep myself from staring at him, those plump but masculine lips, his deep rich chocolate eyes, that mop of mused hair and his sharp squared jaw that just begged to be nibbled...Gah pull yourself together Haruhi. You sound like a hormonal teenager.

I still had a job to do. Yes, our relationship had received an unexpected kick up the ass, but that didn't mean the focus should change from the reason I'd first arrived. And not to mention the fact that Hikaru was still a complete asshat. And with only a few weeks to go, we needed all our attention on the coaching. No time for distractions. But my mind couldn't help but wander everytime his eyes met mine.

I'd spent the evening before trying to convince myself to stay in my own bed. On my own. I could hear Hikaru moving around in the room next door, the sound of his headboard hitting the wall as he threw himself into bed. Images of us rolling around under those sheets, teeth clashing, tongues merging...Oh my god STOP!

"You're sure I can't convince you to sit on my lap?" Hikaru smirked, pulling me out of my self destructive musings.

"Focus. Please" I heaved, "You have like 2 weeks until your interview, and we haven't gotten anywhere"

"Not true" Hikaru pointed out, "I stayed behind and cleared up yesterday"

I gave him a sarcastic round of applause, "Well done, you performed a basic human function"

"It's not basic for me"

"Can we just get back to the session?"

"If you didn't want me to make a pass at you then you shouldn't have worn that outfit" he gestured at the form fitting blouse and shapely leggings his Mom had gifted me. I hadn't given my outfit much thought that morning, I just threw it on. Did I think it would look good for Hikaru? Maybe I considered it for a second...

"Focus" I strained.

"Fine" he sighed, "What's next teach?"

"We're not moving onto next we're still on your opening greeting"

"I don't see what's wrong with mine"

"Well, lets see..." I tapped my finger against my lips, "You didn't shake my hand before you sat down, you looked everywhere but me when I greeted you, you yawned, then you said...what was it? Oh yes - 'What do you need to know?""

He shrugged, "And?"

"And it was rude, impersonal and not what we want you to do when you're dealing with a journalist who can make or break your career"

He groaned, "She just wants me to answer her questions. Everything else is just trivial"

"What if she asks you something you don't like? What if she makes a comment you don't agree with? How are you going to respond to that? If you don't care enough to greet her well, then how can you possibly keep your cool when faced with negativity?"

Hikaru seemed to consider it.

"Shall we try again?" I asked.

We rehearsed the greeting over and over, each time his method improved. Eventually he remembered to shake my hand, smile, ask how I was feeling, he even said "It's a pleasure to meet you". But once the cover of the 'scene' ended, his scowl returned and his body language became defensive. For this to work, he would need to keep it up through the whole interview. He couldn't just read from a script, the interview would be unpredictable, so he'd need to be completely prepared for anything thrown at him. Could he do that?

"Why were you such a prick to that make up artist yesterday? Are you always such a dick?" she said suddenly.

Hikaru's face turned hard, "Hey! What the fuck?! Why would you bring that up? It's not my fucking fault she couldn't do her fucking job right"

I pointed a stern finger at him, "See! There!"

"What the hell?"

"You have to be prepared for this. This Benibara person could ask you anything and you can't answer like that, no matter how much you hate the question"

"I wasn't expecting you to throw that shit at me"

"And you won't expect her to either. But you know your reputation, and so does she. It's likely she will ask you questions like that, and we need to make sure you have all the tools in your belt to deal with it politely and professionally. You can't snap at her, shout, swear, or throw a tantrum, it will only damage your image further"

"I'm allowed to defend myself"

"Of course you are" I replied, "But that doesn't mean you have to shout or throw around insults"

Hikaru's expression turned into confusion. Clearly he'd never even entertained the idea of not using his anger to settle his problems. I frowned.

We went over body language and had a run through of possible questions to formulate acceptable answers. After over an hour I already decided that we would have to increase our time spent training. It seemed like we would be stuck doing this for at least 3 hours each day. I wanted to scream. It was tiring working with him like this, he wasn't willing enough to learn, and on top of that, staring at him and listening to his husky male voice made my insides twist with desire. I'd have to start paying more rent to cover the increase in cold showers I'd be needing. The Hitachiin water bill was going to sky rocket ten-fold.

After dinner Kaoru and I played chess in the living room, Hikaru sat in the corner chair watching, book in hand as he pretended not to take interest. He caught my eye several times as I went back and forth on the chess board, his gaze filled with lust and wanton need, his lip would disappear between his teeth, as if he didn't realise that I was looking right back at him.

Stop staring at him

When he looked at me like that it were as if he'd brainwashed me. Suddenly every rational thought I had vanished from my mind and the only thing that seemed right was him. I was reminded of how his lips felt, how his body fit against mine, the heat from his chest and the way my legs buckled as he held me in his arms. I knew from the moment he first kissed me that it shouldn't have happened. It wasn't like I could even entertain the idea of anything further with him. It wasn't like making out made us suddenly like each other either. We still butted heads, never agreed on anything, and his sharp tongue just made us fight and argue as we did from the tart. The difference now was that instead of just good old regular frustration, a heaping spoonful of sexual frustration had been added to the plate. I wanted him, but I couldn't stand him. How was that possible?

Physical attraction was a complicated thing.

I rolled over in bed and glanced at the clock. 3.16am. I sighed heavily. I couldn't get him out of my head. Once settling into my room that evening, I opened my notebook and drew. It was the only thing I could think of doing to relieve my head. I drew Hikaru, I drew Kaoru, I drew my Dad, and when that didn't unnerve me, I wrote out coaching plans for the next week with Hikaru. My main plan of attack would be to get him to socialise with other people. Maybe get his staff to confront him on how he makes them feel, get him to listen and learn some kind of empathy. Did he even have empathy? I grumbled under the sheets, tossing and turning.

A sudden groan took me out of my sleep deprived reverie. It echoed through the wall and spread to every corner of my room, bouncing off the walls. I sat up, furrowing my eyebrows. There was a thump and another groan. I let out a sigh, realising exactly what it was. Another nightmare.

Since I moved in I'd overheard several of Hikaru's nightmares. They weren't always as loud and violent as they had been that night I came to his room, but I could always hear him rolling in his bed and calling out in his dreams. They never lasted long, and by the time I'd concluded whether or not to go and console him, the nightmares had usually ended. I sat there and listened for a while, taking in the thumps from the headboard, the illegible cries and groans and the sound of pain. It wasn't going to end. I could hear it in his desperate pleas.

Without thinking, I jumped from the bed and headed for his room. I opened the door carefully, being sure not to startle anyone in the silent house. He laid there the same as he had done the time before, rolling back and forth, hands outstretched as if pushing someone away. I could only wonder what a man like Hikaru Hitachiin could be so afraid of. It didn't feel natural seeing him so vulnerable.

"Hikaru" I said soothingly, "Hikaru you're having another nightmare"

"No" his voice rang out strangled, "Stop...following me!"

"Wake up Hika" I shook his shoulder, trying my best to stir him, "It's me, Haruhi"

"Haru...hi"

"Yes" I nodded, "It's a dream, open your eyes"

"Not a dream, not a dream..."

"Wake up"

"Why won't they stop...why won't they...why won't she...leave me alone, please leave me alone"

I gave him another shake, climbing further into the bed. As I got closer to him I suddenly felt his arms come up and wrap around my waist. I gasped as he clung to me, burying his face into my hair as he settled me beside him. I could feel my heartbeat accelerate, threatening to burst through my chest. Being in his arms felt...so good, but also...so desperate. Like he needed to hold onto me to ground himself. His breathing began to steady and smooth out, his cries and groans growing quieter until the only sound he made were soft snores. I reluctantly tried to loosen his grip so I could go back to my room, but his arms were like a vice locked around me, and every move I made was completely wasted.

In the darkness I could see his face. It was funny, when he was sleeping he didn't look so threatening. His cheeks were more rounded, and his hard lips were pursed, not to mention that his body was like a furnace. He reminded me of a toddler sleeping, he looked so innocent and sweet. I swept away a long lock of hair from his forehead, stroking the creamy skin I'd uncovered. Why did lying here with him feel so...good? My body seemed to fit against him so well, my legs entangling with his, our chests pressed together, our body heat passing between one another. Our faces were so close, I could feel his breath tickle my lips, his scent mingling around me.

I let out a sleepy sigh as my eyelids became heavier, a small smile creeping onto my lips.

I could only imagine what his reaction would be in the morning when he saw me there. I hoped that maybe he'd move later and give me a chance to escape.

I had an awkward conversation waiting for me in the morning.

But for now, sleep would suffice...

Hey everyone! I went through hell and back for this the chapter, but I'm so happy how it turned out! Things are spicing up in the Hitachiin household!

During the writing of this chapter I made a Twitter account dedicated to this profile! There I can keep you all updated on ongoing stories, upcoming ones and answer any questions you may have! I might have already made a post regarding a certain rewrite...;) My twitter handle is YulisanWrites, I hope to see you there!

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Love you all!
Yuli xxxx